


Reborn

by scifiangel



Series: Reborn [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Psychic Abilities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2015-02-02
Packaged: 2018-03-10 03:59:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3275867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scifiangel/pseuds/scifiangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The TARDIS needed to save her Time Lord from the destruction of Gallifrey and she does it in a very unusual way. Can an ex-time agent save not only the Doctor's life, but his soul?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shared Pain

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on the question,"What would have happened if the Nineth Doctor had met Jack first and not Rose?" I hope you enjoy my answer.

_Chapter 1. Shared Pain_

Gallifrey had exploded taking both the Time Lords and the Daleks with it. The TARDIS knew her Time Lord expected to die with them. She couldn't let that happen. She didn't want to die and she couldn't live without him. She pulled as far away from Gallifrey as she could before the first explosive wave hit. Despite having all her shields up, fire ripped through her console room and threaten her Doctor's life. He was dying and he wasn't even trying to regenerate. This would never do.

She knew the next explosive wave would be the time-lock and it frightened her, but she couldn't think about that right then. Helping her Time Lord was more important. She entered his mind and forced the regenerative energy to start. She hoped her Doctor would forgive her. If he remembered it at all.

Just as the regenerative process reached its peak, the blast from the time-lock hit. She felt as if she was ripping apart. The fabric of time was tearing as well. All time periods in all the multi-verses were converging in that instant. It was too much even for her.

There was one chance. She would let herself and her Doctor be scattered throughout the multi-verse. She opened herself up and let her vortex energy combine with her Time Lord's regenerative energy. In the next few moments dozens of TARDIS' and Doctors formed and were thrown into different universes scattering the force of the time-lock's blast. One of them had to survive. She wished her sister ships good luck and hoped they would love their Doctors as much as she did hers.

********

Jack Harkness was the name the ex-time agent was using now. He didn't feel he deserved it after what he had done, but maybe if he kept it he would strive to deserve it. He was currently holed up in a cabin in the Swiss mountains. He needed a place somewhere away from World War II where he could think. He had very nearly destroyed the whole human race with his carelessness, possibly the whole universe with the paradoxes that would have formed if humans no longer existed.

It was suppose to be a simple con. Throw an empty medical transport at a passing time agent, sell it to them, and then have it destroyed by a stray bomb before they found out it was worthless. The perfect self-cleaning con. He hadn't realized until it was nearly too late that the medical transport wasn't empty, but filled with nanogenes and they were changing everyone into gas-mask zombies. The only way he could put it right was to lure everyone who had been infected to the transport and let the bomb destroy them all.

He had so much blood on his hands. He had to murder men, women, and children in order to save the human race and all of history from his carelessness. All in the name of revenge. He was such a fool. He even had to kill the time agent that had come to buy it as well as his own lover.

"Oh, Algy," Jack whispered. "I'm so sorry." Jack hadn't been in love with Algernon, but he had been a good man and hadn't deserved to die. Jack wasn't sure what he was going to do now, but his conman days were over for good. He thought perhaps the Time Agency had done him a favour by stripping him of two years of his memories. He didn't know what he had done, but he probably deserved it. He would love to get rid of the memory of having to kill all those people.

For the last two weeks he had locked himself away in this cabin and drunk himself unconscious. Yesterday he had decided that he was done with self-pity and had gotten himself cleaned up and sober. He wasn't sure what his next step would be. Maybe he should return to the Time Agency and turn himself in. Let them punish him for his crime of arrogance.

Jack was so deep in thought that he hadn't heard it at first. A sound like he had never heard before. A whine of engines that waxed and waned almost like breathing. He ran outside in time to see a blur of blue streak across the sky and heard it crash behind the tree line. It had been a small craft, possibly an escape pod. Whoever was in there was going to need his help if they were friendly or he would need to deal with them if they were not. He was not going to allow anyone or anything to threaten the human race again. Jack ran back inside and quickly gathered some supplies and his sonic-gun, then headed towards the crash site.

********

The newly formed TARDIS had been thrown into an unknown universe. She used her vortex energy and her Time Lord's regenerative energy to align herself with this new universe enabling her to see its timelines. She desperately scanned the timelines trying to find someone who would be able to help her Time Lord. She locked onto the most likely sentient being and used the last of her energy to aim herself toward the time and place were he could be found.

She hope she was doing the right thing bringing her Time Lord here. The timelines surrounding this _Jack_ person were in a great deal of flux and some of the timelines did not end well. Maybe they could help heal each other. What every the outcome, it was the best she could do in her present condition. She tried to protect her unconscious Doctor as best she could as she crash-landed in the woods.

********

Jack approached the crash site with apprehension, not knowing what to expect. A blue 1950's or 60's police call box was definitely not it. This was clearly a time traveller, but whoever was in there hadn't gotten his time period right. The police box was leaning against a tree and there was smoke pouring from the door which was ajar. He walked closer and peeked inside. What he saw made him gasp in surprise. The interior was enormous. This was technology far in advanced of even Jack's own century.

He could only see one occupant who was lying on the wooden floor unconscious. He didn't have time to study the ship further as fire was raging throughout what he thought was the control room. Though it could just as easily have been a library with the amount of books that lined the walls. Jack rushed in, grabbed the man, and pulled him from the ship. He paused to make sure he was breathing and then rushed back to see if there was anyone else to save, but he found the doors shut and locked. Frustrated he turned back to his patient.

The man's clothes were hanging in shreds, almost burnt off of him, but surprisingly his skin seemed to be untouched. He wore what was at one time a coat made of dark green velvet and around his neck was the remains of what may have been a grey cravat. Jack pushed it aside to check his pulse. What he felt was very odd. The man's skin was cold and his pulse was off. He leaned down and put his ear to the man's chest. The double heartbeat confirmed his suspicions.

"Not human," Jack whispered to himself. He leaned back and studied his patient. The man had prominent ears and a magnificent Roman nose. His dark hair was close cropped and he had a mole on his lower right cheek. "Rather ruggedly handsome," Jack mused.

Jack bent down and picked up his patient in a firemen's carry and walked back through the forest to his cabin. He laid the man down on his bed and went to get a bowl of warm water and a clean flannel. Jack remove all of the strangers ruined clothes and found a long silver-toned instrument of some kind in one of the pockets. He laid it on the nightstand and turned back around ready to wash up his patient. Jack found that there was no need to clean him up. He was indeed untouched by the fire that had burned his clothes.

"At least he looks human all over," Jack commented with interest as he pulled up the duvet to cover his patient. The man moaned and a golden glowing mist escaped his open mouth, drifted through the air, and then out of the window. "Well, that's different."

Jack was a bit worried. He had no idea if his patient's cooler temperature or the golden mist was normal for his species. He didn't want even one more person to die because of him. _All I can do is my best,_ he thought.

********

For two days Jack tended his odd patient. He had started calling the man John, because he had to call him something and it was the first name he thought of. He talked to John about his life, read him books, and had deep philosophical discussions such as what the purpose of a navel was. Okay, so it wasn't that philosophical, but it was relevant as John didn't have one. A navel that is.

John moaned, mumbled, and shouted a lot in his sleep. Jack held his hand when he would cry out. He could tell from what was said that John had been through some sort of horrible war. Certain names were repeated over and over, Romana and Susan. Based on what he said and how he said it Romana seemed to be a close friend or perhaps a girlfriend and Susan must have been a relative, probably a daughter. It was clear that John had loved them and lost them both in the war. The poor man felt responsible for their deaths. He kept calling himself a murderer and "The Destroyer of Worlds."

Jack wished he could take John's pain away. He knew it was probably survivor's guilt and his heart went out to him. He knew what it was like to lose your loved ones. Jack's whole family had been killed in an attack on their village when he was young. His younger brother, Gray, had died in his arms and his mother and father's bodies were found in the rubble of his ruined home. He knew when that happens it's natural to ask yourself, _Why me? Why did I survive and they didn't?_ But knowing that it's a natural reaction doesn't make it hurt any less.

He hadn't cried for them in over a decade, but hearing the stranger crying out once again for his loved ones flayed open the old wounds. Jack didn't want to leave John in the midst of a nightmare, but he had to go outside to compose himself. He allowed the tears to streamed down his face for a few minutes then took several deep breaths. He needed to pull it together. He had to stay strong and take care of John. Jack had lost his family, but if he was right, this man had lost his whole world. He wiped his eyes and walked back in.

John was deep in the throws of the nightmare when Jack came back. He was thrashing about and shouting "No." Jack took a damp flannel and wiped John's brow then brushed his fingertips across the side of his face to try and calm him.

Suddenly, John's eyes flew open and his hands gripped Jack's head with his fingertips on Jack's temples. The full force of John's mind filled Jack's head. He raised his mental shields, but John blew through them as if they were made of tissue paper. He tried to pull John off of him, but he was way too strong. Jack didn't want to hurt him, but he felt he had no choice. He punched John, knocking him out, then sank to the floor shaking.

Jack leaned his back against the bed and drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. The images he had seen in John's mind had left him reeling. Images of a war that raged across all of time and space. Whole worlds destroyed by metal creatures that had no concept of mercy. He felt John's fear and hatred of these beings. He felt John's anguish as he destroyed his own world in order to save the whole universe from those metal monsters and his own people. He felt John's despair and the self-loathing that his choice had left him. No wonder he had nightmares.

Jack rocked back and forth for several minutes trying to calm himself. He needed to decide what to do. John was a man with a death wish; a being who controlled unimaginable power. Power capable of destroying the Earth. Should he risk keeping him here? Would he be able to stop John if he needed to? Jack had no idea what the right thing to do was.

John softly cried out for Susan again and the pain in his voice made up Jack's mind for him. He couldn't leave John. He stood up and took John's hand in his and squeezed it.

"I'm here for you," he whispered. "For as long as you need me."


	2. Coping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor wakes up. How will he cope with what has happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read chapter one first.

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/scifiangel/pic/0002e468/)

_Coping_

The Doctor slowly regained consciousness. He didn't bother opening his eyes. What would be the point? He had no reason to be in the world of the living. He took a mental inventory of his physical status.

Hearts and lungs were working well; circulatory system and respiratory bypass were both fine; and the only pain that he could feel was in his jaw, which was strange. He must have regenerated. _'Well, that's disappointing.'_

He sent his mind outward in search of the TARDIS; he hadn't felt her right away and feared that she had died without him. It was a balm to his soul when she touched his mind, reassuring him. She seemed to be too far away for him to be inside her though, which was disturbing. _'Where am I?'_

He stretched his mind out trying to sense the timeline and to his shock he found that he was no longer in his own universe. He wasn't sure which universe he was in, but it was definitely not Universe Prime. He quickly asked his ship if she was going to be all right. He was afraid she would die here without the home universe's energy. The TARDIS assured him that she had aligned herself to this universe and she was using its energy. _'Oh, my clever Girl.'_

He sighed when the realization hit him that now they were permanently stuck here in this unknown universe. _'Maybe that's for the best,'_ he thought. There won't be any reminders of a home he could never go back to.

Once again he sought out the timeline he was in and found that he was on Earth in this universe's World War II. Nineteen forty-one to be exact. He double-checked the outcome and except for some minor differences this war happened the same as the one he was familiar with. That was good. At least he didn't have to learn everything over again.

He sensed another presence near by. It seemed to be familiar. He thought back to the dreams he had been having. At least he thought they were dreams. He remembered a comforting voice talking to him, reading to him, and having long discussions on odd subjects. _'Did the voice really praise the benefits of a navel?'_

He remembered warm gentle hands lifting his head and bringing much needed water to his parched lips. Those same hands had put a cool flannel on his forehead and gentle fingers had caressed his cheek. It must be those fingers that were currently entwined in his. _'Someone's been taking care of me,'_ he was surprised to realise.

He remembered an aroma that always accompanied that voice and those hands. The Doctor inhaled deeply, drawing the heavenly scent into his lungs. It sent his blood pumping and his body tingling. _'Pheromones,'_ he mused. _'Sometime between the Forty-ninth and Fifty-third centuries.'_ That didn't belong in Nineteen forty-one. He would need to be careful. Even Time Lords were not completely immune to their effects.

He opened his eyes and looked down on the sleeping form of a young human sitting in a chair with his head resting on the edge of the Doctor's bed. He reached over and caressed the soft dark hair on the young man's head. "Thank you," he whispered.

Suddenly, the Doctor remembered something else. Memories that were not his own had flooded his mind in the dreams. A small boy dying in his arms. The image of his hands, torn and bleeding, as he rummaged through the rubble of his ruined home only to find his parent's broken bodies. His best friend being tortured and killed in front of him by cruel alien creatures. Glimpses of war, and torture, and pain. So much pain, longing, and loneliness hidden behind a disarming smile and a flirty attitude. Using his body for pleasure in an effort to fill the emptiness in his soul. So many painful memories.

In his delirium the Doctor must have touched the young man's mind. He hoped he hadn't hurt him.

"My poor boy, what have I done to you?" the Doctor whispered, caressing his hair again. "Did I burden you with my pain? Goodness knows you have enough of your own."

The Doctor's benefactor began to stir. The young soldier lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. At first he didn't see that the Doctor was awake, but as soon as he did his face lit up with a dazzling smile.

"John, you're awake!" the young man exclaimed as he put the back of his hand on the Doctor's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"John?" the Doctor asked with an amused smile.

"Oh yeah," his benefactor shook his head. "I had to call you something. For some reason you just looked like a John." The young man held out his hand to the Doctor, that's when he noticed the vortex manipulator on the young man's arm. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness and who are you?"

"John is a good name," the Doctor replied, not wanting to take the chance of a time agent knowing who and what he was just yet. "You can call me John."

"Right," Jack said, his dazzling smile turning into a knowing smirk. "I get it. You don't know if you can trust me yet. _John_ it is then."

"Can you tell me how I got here?" the Doctor asked.

"Your ship crashed in the woods near here. I pulled you out to save you from the fire that was raging through what I think was the control room." Jack's smile lit up his face again. "She's a real beauty, by the way. How do you use inter-dimensional transference in conjunction with the time vortex without it ripping itself apart?"

The Doctor was impressed. This Jack was extremely intelligent. "I might just tell you someday."

"Fair enough." Jack smiled his knowing smile again. The Doctor smiled back. He couldn't seem to help himself. "Do you feel up to getting dressed?" When the Doctor nodded, Jack stood up and walked over to a wardrobe that was against the wall. He opened it up, took out a pile of neatly folded clothes, and handed them to the Doctor. "Here are some of my muftis. That means civilian clothes, by the way. Your clothes were burned beyond saving I'm afraid."

"That's alright," the Doctor said as he began to put on the dark green jumper Jack had given him. "They don't suit me anymore."

"I'll leave you to it then." Jack headed for the bedroom door. "I'll be in the kitchen fixing us some soup. Holler if you need me."

********

_'So, John was finally awake,'_ Jack thought the man looked well enough. He didn't even have much of a bruise on his chin where Jack had punched him. He felt a bit bad about that, but he didn't know what else he could have done.

There were so many things he wanted to say to John, so many things he wanted to know. Should he tell John that he had seen inside his mind? That he knew what kind of man he was and what he had sacrificed? Should he tell John that he knew about the Great War the man had fought? Should he tell John that he knew he had been forced to destroy his own planet in order to save the whole universe? Should he mention any of it or would that just cause him more pain? Jack found that he wanted very much to help John, he just wasn't sure how. Finally he decides that it probably would be best if he didn't say anything at all and he would wait to see if John mentioned it.

Jack had the soup, bread, and tea on the table by the time John came out of the bedroom. Jack thought he had chosen the clothes well. John looked rather handsome in his black jeans and black leather jacket. He motioned for John to sit down and they ate their soup in companionable silence.

All through the meal Jack tried to think of a way to ask if John would stay with him for a while or if he had somewhere he needed to be. Of course John may not _have_ an answer and the subject may be too painful. The last thing Jack wanted was to hurt him. He had grown very fond of the man despite the fact that he'd only been awake for the past fifteen minutes.

As soon as they were both done eating John stood up and faced Jack. "I want to thank you for taking such good care of me, but I think I'd best be getting back to my ship now."

"Of course," Jack sighed, his shoulders sagging a little. He had hoped to have more time to get to know John. He had been so lonely up here in the mountains alone. It had felt good taking care of someone. It had given him a sense of purpose. "I'll take you right away, but let me give you something first." Jack pulled the metal instrument out his pocket that he had taken out of John's burnt coat. He handed it to John and smiled when his now former patient grinned from ear to ear.

"My sonic screwdriver!" John cheered, which made Jack laugh.

"You're joking, right?" Jack chuckled and shook his head. "Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks – _This should be more sonic._ "

"What, you never been bored, never had a long night, never had a lot of shelves to put up?" Jack wasn't sure if John was being serious or joking until he smiled that manic smile again.

********

The Doctor could feel Jack's eyes on him as they walked through the woods. He knew the lad had many questions, but he just didn't think he could stomach facing the answers yet. The Doctor decided a pre-emptive strike was his best strategy. He slowed his pace so he was level with Jack and could see his face.

"Jack," the Doctor asked. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Jack answered with a smile. "Fire away."

"What is a time agent like you doing here during World War II?"

Jack's face changed rapidly from smiling to flashes of anger, pain, and shame, before returning to a smile, but this time it didn't reach his eyes. The Doctor wondered if the lad knew just how clearly his emotions were written on his face.

"I'm not a time agent," Jack replied. "At least not anymore." The Doctor watched as Jack took several deep breaths and swallowed hard before continuing. "I know you don't completely trust me and there may be a good reason not to. The last time I was at the Agency, I had just woken up to discover that they had stolen two years of my memories. Erased them without any explanation." Jack bowed his head, a look of shame and guilt back on his face. "I don't know what I did, but I must have deserved it."

"I doubt that, lad." The Doctor laid his hand on Jack's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

"You know, John," Jack managed a crooked half smile. "I'm way over thirty years old. I'm not really a _lad_ anymore."

That made the Doctor laugh out loud and slap Jack on the back. "To me you are, _Lad_."

"Oh, and how old are you then?"

"In Earth years," the Doctor answered putting his arm around Jack's shoulders. "Almost nine hundred."

Jack whistled at that revelation. "Wow, your species sure lives a long time."

The Doctor sobered at that statement. "They used to." He desperately wanted to change the subject. "How much further?" he asked, pulling his arm from around the ex-time agents shoulders and picking up the pace.

"Not far," Jack answered smiling. "Just the other side of that hill."

********

As they reached the top of the hill, the Doctor saw three men wearing Nazi uniforms loading the TARDIS into a large truck. He also saw the guards in the back of the truck aiming their rifles at them. Before the Doctor could react, Jack jumped in front of him as a shot rang out. Jack's momentum and the bullet threw them both to the ground with a bone-jarring thud. The Time Lord lay on the leaf-covered ground, with a bleeding Jack in his arms for only a second, before the Doctor dragged him into the woods for cover.

A moment later the Doctor heard the truck drive off at high speed. He sat up with Jack in his lap and pressed his hand to the young man's chest trying to stop the bleeding, even though he knew it was in vain.

"It's alright, John," Jack whispered. "It's a good death, saving a life, instead of taking it." Jack smiled up at him, and then his eyes rolled back and shut.

"No!" the Doctor shouted. He felt for a pulse and found one that was weak and thready. "Not one more person is going to die because of me." The Doctor knew it was well passed the normal fifteen hour regenerative window, but it hadn't been a normal regeneration. His TARDIS had helped it along. He wasn't sure if he had enough regenerative energy left. He prayed it would work as he leaned down and pressed his lips to Jack's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **DISCLAIMER:** This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. This is a work of parody, as defined by the Fair Use Doctrine. Any similarities, without satirical intent, to copyrighted characters, or individuals living or dead, are purely coincidental. This work has not been endorsed by Russell T. Davies, the BBC, or any of the others holding copyrights or licensed books or movies. No connection is implied or should be inferred. This is not a commercial work. The authors receive no financial gain from its production or distribution. It is available without charge. Distribution is limited. The distribution of this story is for personal use only. Any other form of distribution is prohibited without the consent of the author.


	3. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can the Doctor save Jack? And who took the TARDIS and why?

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/scifiangel/pic/0002e468/)

_Comfort_

Jack was dying in his arms. The Doctor couldn't let that happen. "Not one more person is going to die because of me!" Especially not this kind, caring, brave, wonderfully stupid ape that had given all he had to a total stranger. The Doctor gathered every atom of regenerative energy he had left in his body and covered Jack's mouth with his own. He forced the golden healing mist into the Captain's body and hoped it wasn't too late.

The Doctor was getting a little dizzy from his efforts, but nothing else mattered to him besides saving Jack. He was concentrating so hard that he failed to notice when a human hand slid behind his neck and strong fingers gently pulled him deeper into the kiss. The Doctor breathed deeply through his nose drawing much needed oxygen into his lungs and those heavenly pheromones filled his senses. His whole body began to tingle, his hearts beat rapidly, and his blood started heading south.

_'What kind of sick pervert am I?'_ the Doctor thought. _'To be turned on by a dying man? I'm supposed to be saving Jack, not... wait... Is that a tongue sliding across my lips?'_ The Doctor's eyes flew open wide and stared down into the bright blue eyes of a very much alive Captain Jack Harkness. The Doctor immediately pulled back breaking the kiss.

"Wow," Jack said with a huge grin as he patted his chest where the gunshot hole use to be. "That was some kiss."

"It wasn't..." the Doctor started to say, but it came out as more of a squeak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I wasn't kissing you. I was saving your life."

"It felt like a kiss to me," Jack's grin grew even bigger. "Also, I'm lying in your lap, so I can _feel_ how it affected you."

"Well it was a one-off. I used every bit of energy I had left to save you." The Doctor figured the best defence was a good offence. He quickly stood up, dropping Jack on the ground, and began to yell at him. "Don't you ever do something that stupid again," he shouted as Jack stood up and faced him. "I will not have you giving up your life for me! I'm not worth it!"

"Yes, you are!" Jack shouted back with conviction.

"You have no idea what I've done, what I'm capable of!" The Doctor got right in Jack's face trying to make his point. "You don't know the kind of man I am!"

"I know exactly the kind of man you are." Jack's face and voice softened as he spoke. "You're the kind of man who can't turn his back when someone needs your help. You're a man of peace who hates violence. A man who was drawn into a war not of his own making; a man who hates himself for killing monsters even though _they_ killed without mercy. You're a man who so loves life that he was willing to sacrifice his whole world to save the universe. That's the kind of man you are."

The Doctor stood there, too stunned to move. Slowly his vision blurred and suddenly he was on Arcadia, fighting for his life. His eyes saw only the green lights of his enemies' weapons. His skin felt the heat from the explosions. His nose smelt the blood and stench of the dead corpses of his comrades. His body began to tremble as his ears heard the terrified screams of the dying and the mechanized shouts of the enemy: **"Exterminate"!**

The Doctor was only vaguely aware of strong arms enfolding him. The gentle voice from his dreams was back assuring him that he was safe. "I've got you," the voice said to him. "You can let go." So he did.

The Doctor buried his head in a warm shoulder and gave in to the heart-breaking sobs of his grief. 

********

Jack saw the Doctor's eyes glaze over and knew the very moment the flashbacks took over his mind. Many times in the past Jack had seen what this century called _shell shock_ and what later centuries would call _Post Traumatic Stress_. He had experienced it himself before the Time Agency had helped to cure him.

In less than a second he had the man in his embrace and was easing them both to the ground. Jack leaned back against a tree and rocked John in his arms.

"You're safe," Jack assured him. "I've got you. You can let go."

John's pain was a palpable thing, seeming to come from deep within his soul as the sobs wraked his body. Jack wished he could take that pain away.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there rocking John. It seemed like hours, but was probably no more than twenty to thirty minutes. Jack's shoulder was wet with John's tears and Jack's face was wet with his own. Slowly the sobs quieted and John came back to reality. His swollen red-rimmed eyes looked up at the Captain with gratitude and more than a bit of embarrassment.

"Welcome back, John." Jack smiled down at his comrade and handed him a handkerchief from his pocket.

"Doctor," John said, or tried to. His voice was weak and rough from crying. He cleared his throat and sat up. Shaking his head, John stood up, wiped his eyes, and put out his hand to help Jack up off the forest floor. "It's the Doctor."

"What?"

"My name," John said with a patient smile, "...is the Doctor. I know to you humans that's a strange name, but it's my name, none the less."

"Thank you," Jack said with a smile. It was clear by the Doctor's expression that he wasn't expecting that response.

"What for?" The Doctor asked.

"For trusting me with your name." Jack smiled at him and the Doctor smiled back then looked down at the ground. Jack decided he needed to lighten the mood. "So... are you sure about that kiss being a one-off?" Jack wiggled his eyebrows making the Doctor laugh.

"Buy me a drink first," the Doctor replied with a playful smirk.

"You're such hard work," the Captain said with a fake pout.

"But, worth it." The Doctor smiled again then his face grew serious. "I meant it about not being able to save you again, though. I don't have any regenerative energy left and I'm the last of my kind." Jack's heart ached seeing his friend's sad expression and watched as that expression changed rapidly.

"Well," the Doctor shouted as he slapped his hands together with a manic grin. "No sense in us standing around chin-wagging. Let's go meet the neighbours and get my ship back."

"Yes, and we need to find out what Nazis are doing in Switzerland in Nineteen Forty-one." Jack frowned. "Goddess, I hate those guys."

"Oh, they aren't Nazis," the Doctor said with certainty.

"How do you know?" Jack asked with curiosity.

"I could see through their shimmers," The Doctor answered as if it should have been obvious.

"Their what?"

"I'm not sure what you would call them," the Doctor said. "But it's a type of holographic projection they're using as a disguise."

"Where would humans from this century get holoprojectors?" Jack had trouble fathoming it. "And why would they need a disguise, anyway?"

"Because they're aliens of course."

"Of course!" Jack slapped his forehead with his palm. "I should have realized it."

"Well, come on. We don't have all day." The Doctor started down the hill at a brisk pace. Jack had to rush to catch up.

"Actually," Jack said pointing back the way they came. "If they're aliens, I have some things on my ship that might help."

"You have a ship?" The Doctor stopped and stared at Jack.

"Yes, it's tethered to the roof of the cabin." Jack informed.

"I don't remember seeing a ship."

"That's because it's invisible," Jack said in the same matter-of-fact tone of voice the Doctor had used earlier. Jack turned around and started walking back toward the cabin. "Come on. I need to change my shirt and as you said, we don't have all day."

********

When they returned to the cabin, Jack changed his clothes and then showed the Doctor around his ship.

"This is a Chula ship, isn't it?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes. She's a beauty, isn't she?" Jack answered with pride in his voice and a big smile. "She's not as wonderful as your ship, of course."

"Well, the TARDIS is one-of-a-kind." Despite the obvious pride and affection in his voice when he spoke of his ship, the Doctor grew sad again and his voice was almost a whisper. "Just like me."

"Doctor," Jack began, putting his hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "You survived. Couldn't some of your people have survived too?"

"I would feel it... up here," the Doctor told him pointing at his head. "Feels like there's no one." Jack squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "So, how did you end up with a Chula ship?" the Doctor asked changing the subject.

"I... erm... sort of 'borrowed' her," the Captain answered a little sheepishly.

"That's alright," the Doctor said with a sad half-smile. "I sort of 'borrowed' my ship too."

Once the onboard computer had located the Doctor's ship, they flew as close as they could get to the isolated complex without risking detection. Jack gathered some things he thought they might need and they both left the ship.

"Everybody remember where we parked," Jack quipped as he made sure the invisibility shield was in place. The Doctor just smiled and took the lead.

Once they came to the outer perimeter fence, Jack aimed his sonic blaster at it and fired. Soon there was a large square hole in it big enough for them to squeeze through.

"Interesting blast pattern," the Doctor commented.

"It's digital," Jack replied.

"May I see it?" the Doctor asked as he held out his hand to take the weapon from him. Jack handed it to him without hesitation.

"It can act as a sonic blaster, a sonic canon, and in a pinch, a sonic disruptor," Jack informed with pride.

"It's from the weapons factories at Villenguard, yes?" The Doctor turned it over and over studying it.

"You've been to the factories?" Jack asked with surprise.

"Once." The Doctor stuck Jack's gun back into the holster inside Jack's coat.

"They're something to see," he told the Doctor. "The largest weapons manufacturing complex in thirty sectors."

"I guess I'll need to visit them again then." The Doctor smiled at him, but something about the look in his eyes made Jack suspicious. He filed it way and continued to follow the Doctor who was sneaking around the corner of the nearest building.

He and the Doctor snuck around the back of the building trying to be as quiet as possible. Peering around a wall, they saw the alien's complex guarded by many soldiers. Jack reach into his holster for his blaster. "Good thing I brought this with me," he said as held up... a stick, a small tree branch in fact. He stared at it in disbelieve. He looked up at the Doctor who had that manic grin on his face again as he pulled Jack's gun from his pocket.

"Looking for this?" the Doctor asked as he tossed it at the large metal rubbish bin that was behind them.

"Hey," Jack shouted as his gun bounced off the rim of the rubbish bin and landed behind it. "We might need that." Jack slipped behind the bin and bent down to retrieve the weapon, when he heard the sound of several sets of footsteps running towards them. _'That can't be good,'_ he thought to himself as he cautiously peered around the bin and up at the Doctor.

The Doctor looked down at him with sadness and a small amount of fear. He mouthed the word 'Hide' to Jack as he casually dropped his sonic screwdriver onto his shoe then kick it under the rubbish bin. Jack hid himself behind the bin as best as he could and looked under it as three sets of Nazi boots surrounded the Doctor.

"Gentlemen," the Doctor said as he turned around to face his enemy. "I've been expecting you." No sooner had he got the words out than Jack heard the sickening thud of the butt end of a gun hitting a head and saw the Doctor's legs slump. The two goons on either side of the Doctor must have caught him, because his body didn't hit the ground. Instead he saw his friend's shoes being dragged away.

Jack waited until he was sure they were gone before he pulled himself out from behind the bin. He made sure to grab the sonic screwdriver and his sonic blaster on his way out.

"Nazis or not," Jack vowed. "I'm going to make them regret ever coming to Earth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER FOR ALL FICTION HERE: This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. This is a work of parody, as defined by the Fair Use Doctrine. Any similarities, without satirical intent, to copyrighted characters, or individuals living or dead, are purely coincidental. This work has not been endorsed by Russell T Davies, the BBC, or any of the others holding copyrights or licensed books or movies. No connection is implied or should be inferred. This is not a commercial work. The authors receive no financial gain from its production or distribution. It is available without charge. This work is intended for adults only. Some of the content of this fiction is graphically violent and/or sexual. It is intended for readers age eighteen or over and anyone underage is prohibited from reading. Distribution is limited. The distribution of this story is for personal use only. Any other form of distribution is prohibited without the consent of the author.


	4. Salvation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Jack save the Doctor?

[](http://pics.livejournal.com/scifiangel/pic/0002e468/)

_Salvation_

The Doctor awoke with a massive headache. He tried to bring his right hand to his head, but found it was restrained. He opened his eyes and examined his surroundings. The first thing he realized was that he was bare from the waist up. He seemed to be hanging from metal rods attached to the ceiling. His arms were spread out and his hands and upper arms were encased in some sort of black stretchy material, definitely not of Earth origin. His feet were similarly bound to the floor. The advanced restraints were in stark contrast to the ancient architecture of the room; it was rich with carved wood paneling.

He pulled experimentally at the restraints. They gave a little, but still held him firmly. He yanked harder, but with the same results. He put that aside for a while and scanned the room. It looked like someone's office or study. There was an old hand-carved mahogany desk in the center of the room. Its surface was littered with papers and there were alien devices he couldn't identify being used as paperweights.

The Doctor was trying to figure out what the objects might be or what race may have made them when a glimpse of blue caught his eye. There was a door slightly ajar behind the desk. He could just see his beautiful blue lady through the crack. Mentally the Doctor sent a message of concern to his ship. Her reassuring reply soothed his soul.

He was in deep communication with the TARDIS when he heard a door somewhere behind him open, and someone enter the room. The rest of the world would have seen a middle-aged man wearing the uniform of a Nazi general, but the Doctor could see the true alien hidden under the shimmer. It appeared to be some form of reptilian life. Its body was covered with red scales, and he counted six fingers on each hand; each finger was tipped with thick, sharp claw.

The Doctor knew he hadn't encountered the species before, so he studied it, absorbing as much information as he could, as quickly as he could. He watched as the ‘general’ walked over to the desk, grabbed one of the unidentified devices, and turned to face him. The Doctor was about to make a snide comment when the general spoke first.

"Good, you're awake." Without another word he pointed the device at the Doctor and pressed a button on the side.

Excruciating pain shot through the Doctor's body. Every nerve was on fire. It felt as though he had been dropped into boiling oil. He had never felt anything this painful. He tried to scream, but couldn't draw air into his lungs. His hearts were pounding in his chest, and his lungs cried out for oxygen, but it felt like a band of iron encircled his chest. Just as he thought he might pass out from the pain, it suddenly stopped. The Doctor's body slumped down in the restraints, pulling at the muscles in his arms. His head hang downward as he panted.

"I invented this little device myself. It targets all the pain receptors in your body and sends an electrical current through them." The General seemed to be quite proud of his invention. "It's very effective, don't you think?"

There was a lot the Doctor wanted to say, but he couldn't quite manage to speak just yet. His torturer merely laughed.

"That was a rhetorical question, of course." The General looked down at the display on the pain device as if he were analyzing a scientific experiment. "That was the lowest setting. It has five others, but I've found that if I use too high a setting or use it for too long the subject has a tendency to go insane… or die." The General spoke as though he were making casual dinner conversation as he looked up into the Doctor's eyes. "I can see that I shall have to be careful with you; I want you to last a long, long time." With that, he pointed the device at the Doctor and with an evil grin on his face, pressed the button again.

********

Jack was able to make the journey back to his ship undetected. As soon as he was sure he hadn't been followed he uncloaked it and ran inside to the console. First order of business was to run a scan for all life forms in the compound; he needed to know how many of the enemy he was dealing with. Fortunately it wasn't as many as he'd feared, but he worried there might be others out in the forest.

Next, he narrowed the scan to search for the Doctor's biologic signature, and found him easily. The Doctor's bio-readings showed distinct patterns of strain. Jack had seen readings like these before; they were a clear indication that the Doctor was being tortured.

"Well, that knocks out the stealth and careful planning option." Jack pulled out his blaster and patted it, his lips drawn back into a grim smirk. "It's going to have to be the direct approach."

********

This time when the pain stopped the Doctor collapsed; his legs no longer able to support him. The strain on his shoulders from his weight was uncomfortable, yet almost pleasant when compared to the pain that alien device inflicted. He was vaguely aware of the General walking over to the desk and sitting down. The Doctor was more concerned with trying to breath. It seemed that the device not only prohibited his lungs from working, but it interfered with his respiratory by-pass as well.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the General started in a voice that made it clear he wasn't sorry at all. "Where _are_ my manners? We haven't been properly introduced." His voice was unctuous and oily; it reminded the Doctor of a used car salesman he’d once heard on an Earth television commercial. "I'm General Sietor of the Slaiton Empire. And you are?"

The Doctor just glared at him. He was sure that not only was the General perfectly aware of his identity, he was also aware of his inability to speak at the moment. The General's laughter confirmed it. The Doctor narrowed his eyes. He could detect a hint of insanity behind the alien’s laughter; only a madman would derive so much pleasure from the infliction of so much pain.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we are here and why I _hate_ you." He practically spat out the word _hate_. "For that we need to start at the beginning." General Sietor put his booted feet up on the desk, leaned back in his chair, and began speaking as though the Doctor were a slow child.

"I'm the commander of a long range explorer ship, or at least I was until you nearly destroyed it." He grabbed the pain device off the desk and began flipping it over and over in his hand. "Our mission was to explore new galaxies; we were tasked with searching for advanced weaponry and energy sources that we could use as weaponry in order to expand our empire. We were just starting to explore this new galaxy when we detected an energy spike stronger than anything we'd ever encountered before.

"When we arrived at its point of origin, the spike appeared to be coming from an actual rip in the fabric of space itself. Our scientists had never seen anything like it. I decided to bring my ship closer in order to gain a sample of the energy that was pouring through the rip." The General swung his legs off of the desk and put his feet down with a stomp. He stared at the Doctor, ice cold hatred burning in his eyes. "That's when the next wave of energy blasted out of the rip. It slammed into my ship, crippling many of the systems and killing two-thirds of my crew, including…" Sietor pointed the pain device at the Doctor and pressed the button as he screamed his next words. "…My Son!"

The Doctor tried with all his might to concentrate on the General's words in order to distract his mind from the pain in his body and his mind as he realized he had more blood on his hands.

"Crippled as we were there was nothing we could do but ride the energy wave wherever it was going to take us. That's how we ended up here, trapped on this useless, primitive planet. We were barely able to land without crashing, but my ship had been damaged beyond repair." Mercifully Sietor turned off the device and set it on the desk.

"That's when we discovered that we had been thrown thousands of years into the past, before the Slaiton Empire had even formed."

The General stood up and walked over to the Doctor. Sietor grabbed his chin and forced the Doctor's head up so he could look directly into his eyes.

"We tracked your escape pod; it gives off the same energy readings that came out of the rip." He ran his eyes up and down the Doctor’s body, his face filled with revulsion. "Your own body is steeped with that energy, so I know you are the cause of all of this." Sietor slid his hand around to the back of the Doctor's head and gripped it tightly as he punched him hard in the gut. "And I will make you suffer for what you've done, for what you’ve cost me," the General whispered into the Doctor's ear.

********

Using his ship's remote control, Jack carefully placed the hover bombs, being sure they were nowhere near the Doctor's bio-signature. He didn't want to take any chance of injuring him. He also made sure they were all cloaked properly so they wouldn't be detected before he could set them off. Jack was sure the bombs would take care of most of the soldiers located in the woods and around the compound, but that still left a few outside the room where the Doctor was being held and the single hearted life sign inside the room. Jack was well aware that dealing with that last one was going to be tricky. He needed to neutralize him quickly, before he realized what was going on, or risk him killing the Doctor. The Captain made a solemn vow to not let that happen.

********

General Sietor sat at his desk, calmly cleaning the Doctor's blood from his hands with a flannel. The Time Lord was actually glad that Sietor had decided to get more personal, more hands-on, with his infliction of pain. A beating was far easier to endure than that pain device had been. At least he could breathe through this pain.

He hoped Jack would come for him soon, even though it would be better for the lad if he just got in his ship and left. Although from what the Doctor had seen of Jack's character, he doubted that would be the lad's course of action. He could only hope Jack didn't die trying to save him, not a second time. Watching him sacrifice himself once already was more than the Time Lord wanted on his deeply over-burdened conscience. For now, until a chance to escape or be rescued presented itself, all the Doctor could do was try to keep himself alive.

The sudden revelation that he actually wanted to live shocked him. He was pondering this new-found insight when multiple explosions going off almost simultaneously rocked the building. The General was knocked off his chair and onto the floor. The Doctor found himself sniggering at the sight of the man landing flat on his arse, legs in the air. Unable to reach his pain device, the alien general just glared daggers at him.

The noise of the explosions had barely begun to fade away when the sounds of a sonic blaster being fired could be heard outside the room. Before Sietor could get up off the floor, Jack burst into the room and fired a single shot, hitting the General in the leg.

"Doctor! Are you alright?" Jack asked not taking his gun off of Sietor. The genuine look of fear and concern Jack gave him told the Doctor more about how deeply the lad's feelings ran than if Jack had said them out loud. The Time Lord knew he must look in pretty bad shape at the moment. He could taste the blood running from his broken nose and could feel at least one cracked rib when he breathed. He knew there were cuts and bruises all over his torso from the general’s vicious beating.

"I'll be fine," the Doctor reassured the Captain.

"Release him now!" Jack shouted as he looked back at the General with disgust.

"Stay down!" he snarled when he saw the alien start to stand. "Just point."

Trying to staunch the flow of yellow blood from his leg wound, the man motioned towards the desk. "The blue button on the side of the controller," the General replied grudgingly.

The Doctor saw Jack begin to pick up the pain device and almost panicked. "No!” he exclaimed. "It's the other one, the long one, with the black handle." the Doctor informed Jack as he gathered his strength and stood up. Jack grabbed the controller off the desk and released the Doctor. Even as Jack freed the Time Lord, he never took his gun off of the General.

Nearly collapsing as the black restraints retracted from his arms and legs, the Time Lord managed to stagger the few steps to Jack's side. The Doctor could see hatred for the alien blazing in the Captain's eyes as well as the war of conscience going on in Jack's mind.

"Don't," the Doctor said when he saw Jack's finger twitch on the trigger of the blaster gun still pointed at the General's head.

"After what he did to you…" Jack tightened his grip on the gun. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a hole in his head." The Doctor gently put his hand on Jack's forearm and whispered softly in his ear.

"Because you're a better man than that." The Doctor put his arm across the top of Jack's shoulders and leaned on him as if needing help to support his weight, but it was as much to support Jack into making the right decision. He knew it had worked when he felt the tension in Jack's arm relax.

"We can't just let them roam the Earth. Official first contact isn't supposed to happen for another eighty years."

"No, you're right about that," the Doctor agreed. "I can take them all to some deserted planet where they can't cause any trouble, assuming of course that anyone survived." This last comment was more of a question as he looked at Jack.

"I don't know," the Captain answered truthfully, with a shake of his head. "I used concussion bombs. Unless someone was standing right under them when they went off, they shouldn't have been lethal, but I wasn't exactly checking pulses on my way in here."

"I'll not be your prisoner!" Sietor shouted as he pulled a hidden knife out of his boot. But instead of lunging at Jack as the Doctor thought he was going to do, the General slashed the blade deeply across his own throat. He was dead before either of the time travellers could react.

The Doctor just sighed and nodded his head sadly; he should have realized a warrior like Sietor would have an exit strategy. He should have anticipated the alien’s move, but he was just too worn out to even think about it. Jack slipped his arm around the Doctor's waist and took most of his weight.

"Help me to my ship," the Doctor whispered to his Captain. _'Wait… When did Jack become **his** Captain?'_ The Time Lord buried that thought deep in the recesses of his mind; right now he had to concentrate all his energies on healing himself.

Leaving the dead alien where he lay, they slowly made their way to the next room, where the TARDIS stood waiting patiently for her Time Lord. When they reached the door the Doctor realized he didn't have his key.

"You didn't by chance find a key in my old clothes, did you?" Before Jack could answer, both doors opened wide. "Thanks, old girl," the Doctor whispered as he brushed his hand affectionately across the threshold.

********

As Jack helped the Doctor through the door his jaw dropped and his mouth hung open at the sight of the ship's interior. Gone were the cathedral ceilings and the vast bookcases overflowing with books. The wooden floor had been replaced with metal grating and the red velvet wing-back chair was replaced by an old, stained, beat-up jump seat. The ship's interior worried Jack almost as much as his Doctor's condition worried him. _'Wait… When did I start thinking of him as **his** Doctor?'_ Jack had no idea how he should feel about that.

"Oh, my poor girl," the Doctor moaned as he rubbed his hand on a strut that looked like they were made of coral.

"What has happened to her?" Jack was quite confused as to how the ship could have changed so dramatically.

"Her injuries were so severe that she was forced to revert to her pubescent form in order to survive." The Doctor continued to stroke the strut, offering comfort, as he spoke. "This is a living ship. TARDIS are grown, not built." He gave the strut a final pat and turned to Jack. "I think I'd better get to the med-bay."

Jack tightened his grip on the Doctor's waist and helped walk him across the grating to a door that suddenly opened on the other side of the new console. He supported him as the Doctor sat down on the hospital bed that occupied one side of the room. Jack could tell the Doctor was in a tremendous amount of pain by the way he clenched his jaw and by how tightly he gripped Jack's shoulder.

"I think I should fix my ribs first," the Doctor hissed through gritted teeth. "Hand me the long, flat, grey instrument with the green handle on the counter."

"The one that looks like a cricket bat?" Jack asked in a teasing voice.

"Hey, I use to be pretty good at cricket," the Doctor tried to laugh, but instantly discovered that it was too painful. Jack pretended not to notice, and handed him the instrument. The Doctor pressed a button on the side and it began to hum. He waved it slowly over his ribs several times. Jack could tell it was working by the way the Doctor was already breathing deeper and his muscles were relaxing.

"Is that some form of bone knitter?" Jack asked as his friend finished his ribs.

"Yep," the Doctor answered as he tried to bring the device up to his face. Jack could see how tired the Doctor was and how his hand shook as he tries to control the instrument. Rather than let him accidentally hit himself in the face with it, Jack took the device from him, gently cupped his hand around the back of the Doctor’s head to hold him still, and then proceeded to wave the instrument across his friend's face. Jack stared in fascination as the Doctor's nose straightened out.

"I thought noses were made mostly of cartilage, not bone?" Jack said as more of a question than a statement.

"They are." The Doctor smiled up into Jack's blue eyes. "In humans at least." Jack smiled back then grew serious.

"John… I mean Doctor?" Jack blushed a little at his faux passé.

"It's alright. You can call me anything you want." Jack couldn't be sure, but the Doctor's smile looked a little flirty to him. "Hand me the blue one on the right." Jack reached over and took the instrument and handed it to the Doctor, all the while gathering his nerve to ask his next question.

"Doctor, when you're ready to leave," Jack fiddled with the edge of the medical bed and then swallowed hard before he continued. "Can I come with you?"

"Why? You already have a time ship." The Doctor looked down at his chest as he passed what must have been a dermal regenerator over his cuts and bruises making them disappear. "You don't need me."

"Here, give me that." Jack took the instrument from the Time Lord’s hand. "You missed a few on your sides, and one on your neck."

"Thanks." The Doctor sat quietly, unobtrusively studying the man before him.

"You're wrong, I do need you," Jack said with such conviction that the mad alien he had fallen for looked up into his eyes. "Because…” Jack stumbled for a split second and then the words rushed out of him. “Because, I think sometimes I need someone to stop me."

The Doctor didn't say anything; he just leaned back on the bed and put his hand against the wall as he closed his eyes. After a moment he opened his eyes and smiled broadly at Jack. "She said that there's a cargo bay she can make big enough for your ship."

Jack just stared for a moment. “Huh?” and then his brain caught up with his mouth, leaving him grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, come on then, Captain," the Doctor said as he stood up and walked out of the room. "We'll need to find you a room." Realising he wasn’t being followed, the Doctor leaned back into the med-bay and stared pointedly at Jack. "Well, are you coming?"

"Not yet," Jack quipped as he walked swiftly to the door. "But maybe you can help me with that later."

"There's a time and place, Captain," the Doctor sighed with exasperation.

"So is that your place or mine?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, sighed louder, and walked faster. "I’m so gonna regret this," he muttered under his breath.

********

Jack spent his first week on board the TARDIS helping the Doctor settle the Slaiton survivors on an inhabitable, but deserted planet. The remaining soldiers had been quick to understand how lucky they were to still be alive; without the over-powering influence of Sietor, they were easily controlled and offered little resistance.

Earlier, Jack had confirmed the Doctor's knowledge that in two hundred years the destination planet would be destroyed by a meteor collision. A little research in the TARDIS’ vast data banks revealed that as a race, the Slaitons natural life span was roughly ninety years. As there were no females among the survivors they wouldn't be able to breed and thus affect the timelines.

He spent the next two weeks helping the TARDIS repair herself. Jack was continually amazed by how truly unique and beautiful a creature the ship was, and he looked forward to the time he would spend with her.

Jack learned a lot about the Doctor during that time. He found out what a Time Lord was, and he discovered that the Doctor wasn't from this universe. That had been a real shocker. He also found out who Romana and Susan had been. Jack found that he could sympathize with the other man quite easily; he too had once lost a child of his own.

The more he learned about the Doctor the more the Captain fell in love with him. Flirty looks and naughty innuendos were a daily occurrence, but nothing ever seemed to come of it.

Whenever the atmosphere between them grew too tense, the Doctor would change the subject or make an excuse to leave the room. Jack didn't know how much more he could take. He feared that if he confronted the issue head-on, the Doctor might ask him to leave. But if he wanted to be with the Time Lord he knew he would have to take that risk.

********

"You don't know what you're asking." The Doctor stared sadly into his eyes after Jack had made very clear exactly what he was asking.

"Please," Jack stroked his hand across the Doctor's cheek and down his neck. "I think you need this as much as I do."

"Jack, if I lose control..." the Doctor shivered at Jack's touch. "...I could really hurt you."

"Sometimes pain can be good." Jack gave him a half-grin. "Pain and I are old friends. I don't fear pain." He continued to stroke the Doctor's body, down his chest and across his belly, where he felt hard muscles tremble beneath his fingertips. His hand ended its journey by stroking the length of the Time Lord’s jean-clad, rock-hard cock. "It's the loneliness I fear."

With only a deep growl as warning, the Doctor pushed Jack up against the nearest coral strut and covered his mouth in a bruising kiss. The Doctor's right hand threaded through the Captain's hair gripping his head while his left arm wrapped around Jack's lower waist, pulling his hips against the Time Lord's. Jack could feel the Doctor's cock pressing into his thigh, and that turned him on even more. He shivered at the knowledge that he was the cause of his powerful soon-to-be lover's arousal.

Clothes littered the floor as they rushed to feel skin-on-skin contact. Jack grabbed the tube of lube out of his trousers pocket before stepping out of them and kicking them away. Jack looked up into the eyes of the manic alien he had fallen so hard for. The Doctor's eyes were almost black with desire as he looked back at him, but Jack saw that there was also fear lurking behind the lust.

Jack slipped the lube into the Doctor's hand and quickly turned around in his lover's embrace. Jack reasoned if the Time Lord didn't have to look at him maybe he would feel more at ease. Using fingers slippery with nervous sweat, he gripped the strut tightly. _'Gods, you’d think I was a virgin!'_ he thought to himself.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around Jack from behind and pulled him close, inhaling deeply. "You have no idea what your pheromones have been doing to me," the Doctor whispered into Jack's ear. "I’ve been going out of my mind for weeks now," he confided, and then he began to lick his way down the Captain's neck.

Once again, Jack grabbed onto the coral strut in front of him and held on as he felt two cool, lubed fingers enter his body, stretching him. The Doctor's tongue continued to map out his neck and shoulders as if it were tasting the sweetest of candy. Jack was afraid he would come just from this.

"Be very sure, Captain," the Doctor growled as he pulled his fingers out and placed his hard member at Jack's opening. "I may not be able to stop myself."

"Yes," Jack begged. "Oh, please yes."

With one deep, forceful thrust the Doctor filled him completely and they both screamed out their pleasure.

"So long," the Time Lord whispered. "It's been so long." Jack's new lover slid his hands around him pulling him closer and thrusting deeper. He was in ecstasy.

The Doctor set a fierce pace with hard fast strokes. Suddenly his grip grew tight. "I can't..." The Doctor panted as his thrusts slowed and Jack could feel his lover's whole body tense. "I need..." the Doctor's words were a desperate whisper.

"Whatever it is, it's alright," Jack reassured him. "Tell me."

The Doctor stopped moving and laid his head on Jack's shoulder, turning away from him, as if in defeat.

Jack thought back to the memories he had seen in the Doctor's mind. He remembered the psychic cries as billions of minds suddenly died, and then the deafening silence that followed. The Doctor's own words came back to him. _"I would have felt it up here. Feels like there's no one."_

Now Jack understood what the Doctor needed. He reached down and brought his lover's hands from his chest up to his temples.

"It's alright; I trust you," Jack said with unwavering conviction. "My mind is yours." He heard the man’s breath hitch in his throat, and Jack squeezed his hands before letting go.

This time when Jack's mind was flooded with the Doctor's consciousness it wasn't death he saw, but himself. He saw Captain Jack Harkness the way the Doctor perceived him, and the images moved him to tears.

He saw a selfless man who rushed into a fire, risking his life to save a total stranger. He saw a compassionate caregiver doing all he could to save a difficult patient. He saw a brave and noble hero who was willing to die to save an unworthy coward. He experienced the open admiration, deep respect, and reluctant love the Doctor felt for him and it left him shaken.

Drawing on his Time Agency psychic training, Jack opened his mind as much as he could and tried to send back how deeply he felt about the Doctor. It must have worked as his lover shivered and began to thrust hard and fast into him again.

The Doctor's whole body began to tremble and Jack felt his lover's intense orgasmic pleasure flood his mind as it filled his body, sending him over the edge himself. Jack came harder than he'd ever remembered; his body shooting out thick ribbons of white that clung to the coral strut in front of him.

Jack was glad the Doctor's arms were wrapped around him or he would have collapsed to the floor. Jack knew from their continued psychic link that the Doctor was just as glad he had Jack to lean on; there was no way his legs alone could have held him upright.

********

Many happy hours later, Jack awoke with a start to find himself lying in a strange bed. He sat up and looked around at the unfamiliar Spartan furnishings. Suddenly, his mind over-flowed with memories of what had happened the night before. "Oh yeah!"

"It's about time," the Doctor said smiling from the doorway. "You humans would sleep your lives away. Come on, Captain, get moving. There are things to do, places to go." The mad alien turned to leave. "And your tea is getting cold."

Jack knew he was going to love this new life – and this new Doctor – of his, and he grinned from ear to ear.

Fin – for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER FOR ALL FICTION HERE: This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. This is a work of parody, as defined by the Fair Use Doctrine. Any similarities, without satirical intent, to copyrighted characters, or individuals living or dead, are purely coincidental. This work has not been endorsed by Russell T Davies, the BBC, or any of the others holding copyrights or licensed books or movies. No connection is implied or should be inferred. This is not a commercial work. The authors receive no financial gain from its production or distribution. It is available without charge. This work is intended for adults only. Some of the content of this fiction is graphically violent and/or sexual. It is intended for readers age eighteen or over and anyone underage is prohibited from reading. Distribution is limited. The distribution of this story is for personal use only. Any other form of distribution is prohibited without the consent of the author.

**Author's Note:**

> **DISCLAIMER:** This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. This is a work of parody, as defined by the Fair Use Doctrine. Any similarities, without satirical intent, to copyrighted characters, or individuals living or dead, are purely coincidental. This work has not been endorsed by Russell T. Davies, the BBC, or any of the others holding copyrights or licensed books or movies. No connection is implied or should be inferred. This is not a commercial work. The authors receive no financial gain from its production or distribution. It is available without charge. Distribution is limited. The distribution of this story is for personal use only. Any other form of distribution is prohibited without the consent of the author.


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